1-13-13 OurCovenantGod Gen.9:8-17 Covenant: aformalallianceoragreementmadebygodwithareligious communityorwithhumanityingeneral Covenantisnotaconceptfamiliartoustoday.Butitwasthe foundationofsocialorderandsocialrelations,anditwasparticularly thefoundationforanunderstandingofhumanity srelationshipwith God. READGen.9:8-17)NIV) COVENANT:(Nelson snewillustratedbibledictionary) - anagreementbetweentwopeopleortwogroupsthatinvolves promises/responsibilitiesonthepartofeachtotheother. There sarelationalelementthatliesatthebasisofallcovenants. Covenantscouldbebetweenequalpartiesorbetweenasuperiorand inferiorparty(asareallcovenantsbetweengodandhumanity). GodsoughttoestablishsuchacovenantrelationshipwithHispeople. AlldivinecovenantsoriginatewithGod(Gen.9:9) Inowestablish Allofthemareeverlasting(Gen.9:16) everlastingcovenant Allofthemarememorializedwithavisiblesign rainbow (Gen.9:13) (WithAbrahambycircumcision) Biblical(divine/human)covenantdefinition: AbiblicalcovenantisaclearstatementofGod spurposesand intentionsexpressedintermsthatbindgodbysolemnoathto performwhathehaspromised.(asurething hastohappen). WelearnintheNT,accordingtoPaul,thepromisesthatGodmakesare notdependentonhumanreactiontothem:hewilldowhathehas promised. CovenantbetweenGodandDavid Davidandhisdescendantswereestablishedastheroyalheirstothe throneofisrael(2sam.7:12;22:51)
ThiscovenantagreementreachedithighestfulfillmentwhenJesusthe Messiah,adescendantofDavid,wasborninBethlehemaboutathousand yearsaftergodmadethispromisetodavidtheking(mt.1:1;2:4-6;lk. 1:29-33). Covenants(somewhatlikecontracts)alwayshavestipulationsonboth sidesandconfirmations.thisconstitutedtheformalbasisofthe redemptiverelationshipbetweenthelordandhischosenpeopleuntilit wassupersededbythenewcovenant(heb.8:3). Allcovenantsweresolemnizedbythesheddingofthebloodofoneor moresacrificedanimals asnoahdidwhenhegotbackontodryland. Thispracticeorordinancewascontinuedtothe NewCovenant as JesuswassacrificedandHisbloodspilledtoratifythiscovenantinHis blood.(lk.22:20;1cor.11:25).hisbloodwasshedtosealour redemptiononceforallpeopleandforalltime(heb.10:5-18). Acovenantisnotmerelyacontract,sinceacontracthasanenddate, whileacovenantisperpetualorapermanentarrangement. ThereareseveralcovenantsrecordedintheBiblebetweenpeopletoeach other,butthestrikingthingaboutgod scovenantswithhispeopleisthat Godisholy,all-knowing,andallpowerful;butHeconsentstoenterinto covenantswithpeoplewhoareweak,sinful,andimperfect eventhough Heknowsthisgoingintotheagreement. Whowouldeverdosuchastupidthing?? The covenantsofpromise (Eph.2:12)areGod sguaranteesthathewill providesalvationinspiteofpeople sinabilitytokeeptheirsideofthe agreementbecauseofsin. ThecovenantwithNoahisGod spromisetowithholdjudgmentonnature whilesalvationisoccurring(gen.8:21-22;2pet.3:7-15). Thereisreallyonlyonecovenantofgrace,whichwasfulfilledinthelife andministryofjesus.hisdeathusheredinthenewcovenantunderwhich wearejustifiedbygod sgraceandmercyratherthanourhumanattempts tokeepthelaw. 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Eph. 2:8-10)
AndJesusHimselfistheMediatorofthisbettercovenantbetweenGod andhumankind(heb.9:15). 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. HeisdeterminedtogiveuseternallifeandfellowshipwithHim,inspiteof ourunworthiness.thisisstillgod spromisetoanypersonwhoturnsto Himinrepentanceandfaith. Noahcovenant God spromisetoall alltheearthandeverythinginit. NewCovenantinChrist God spromisetoallhumanity "Thoseinthearkmayhavebeensafe,buttheyhadnotyetbeensaved." (ZondervanNIVBibleCommentary-OldTestament). Whatwentonduringthistime oneyearinaboat--whatdoyouthinkthey werethinkingabout-talkingabout-prayingabout onthatarkallthattime? "ButGodrememberedNoahandall...thatwerewithhimintheark." Goddeliveredthem,buttheyhadtowaitonthat.EventhoughHepromisedto sparethem,therewasawaitingandtrustingperiod(faith). Insidetheboat,NoahismovingforwardinFAITHandpatienceashewaitsfor signthatgodhascomethrough,andtheyarerescuedandbackonland.he sendsoutaravenandthenadovelookingforsignsofgod'sdeliverance,but neverlosinghope.noahwaitedforoneyear(cf.7:6,11;8:13-14). Couldyouwaitthatlongbeforetakingmattersintoyourownhands,especially whenyouseethingslookinglikeit'soktoproceed? Goingforward-"TheFlood"-becomesanimageofGod'sjudgment,andNoah's deliveranceisanimageofthesalvationofthefaithful(mt.24:37-39). 37 When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Noahandhisfamilywerefreefromthesmellyark,butweretheyfreefromthe stenchofsin? (EngagetheWord2012 Week1 NeverAgain)
Thesceneissimilartothebeginningofthecreationstory.Thisisa replenishmentstory,arestorationstory,andacovenantstory.thewordingin God'scommandtoNoahissimilartoGod'scommandtoAbram(12:1-7).Leave, witheverything,andgowhereitellyou.bothnoahandabrahamrepresentnew beginnings. TheCovenant ThenNoahbuildanaltartotheLord,andtherehesacrificedasburnt offeringstheanimalsandbirdsthathadbeenapprovedforthatpurpose. (v.20) Godhadthisallplannedoutaheadoftime.Noahfaithfullyfollowed. "AndtheLordwaspleasedwiththearomaofthesacrificeandsaidto Himself, Iwillneveragaincursethegroundbecauseofthehumanrace, eventhougheverythingtheythinkorimagineisbenttowardevilfrom childhood.iwillneveragaindestroyalllivingthings."(v.21). "Aslongastheearthremains,therewillbeplantingandharvest,coldand heat,summerandwinter,dayandnight."(v.22). 9:8-17 aneverlastingcovenantbetweengodandallcreation Godmakesthreespeechesinourtextfortoday ThenGodtoldNoahandhissons 1- v.9-11 introducesthetopicofthecovenantanditscontent thefuture stabilityofthecosmos. 2- v.12-16 mostimportantspeech equatestheconfirmationofthe covenantwithsettingtherainbowintheclouds. 3- v.17 sumsupthesignificanceofthewholeevent. Rainbow-asasignofthiscovenant.EventhoughGodknowshumansare completelysinfulandcannotkeepfromevil,hestilldecidedtoneveragain destroythemcompletely.that'sgraceandmercyandlove.the RAINBOWisasymbolofHisLove.InthefutureHewouldsayitinperson (JESUS). ItisnotthatarainbowitselfissomenewphenomenoncreatedbyGod becauseofthisevent.however,therainbowwouldserveasareminderof thiscovenant. The covenant had three parts 1 Never again will God destroy all life by a flood; 2 as long as the earth remains, the seasons will always come as expected; 3 a rainbow will be visible when it rains as a sign to all that God will keep his promises. (LifeApplicationBible-notes).
Everytimetherainbowappears,Godwillrememberthiscovenanthe madewithalllivingcreaturesoftheearth.apromiseofperpetualsecurity. ItspansfromhorizontohorizonbetweenHeavenandEarthandservesas areminderofthebondofpeacebetweenbothheavenandearth. Thepartnersofthiscovenantarereferredtoseveraldifferenttimes: v.9,10 withyouandwithyourdescendantsafteryouandwith everylivingcreaturethatwaswithyou v.11 Mycovenantwithyou v.12 betweenmeandyouandeverylivingcreaturewithyou v.13 betweenmeandtheearth v.15 betweenmeandyouandalllivingcreaturesofeverykind v.16 betweengodandalllivingcreaturesofeverykindontheearth v.17 betweenmeandalllifeontheearth Noahwentthroughsymbolicdeathinthisfloodexperience.Thatisthe meaningoftheflood.noahwassurroundedbytheflood,herodeuponit, hewaspreservedthroughit,hewassavedfromit.thewatersof judgment,thewatersofdeathcouldnotoverwhelmhim.hewascarried intoanewworldandanewlifebyhisfaithinaredeeminggod. Noahandhisfamilywereforcedtobeginafreshonanewearth.Hereisa pictureofregeneration,ofnewlife.thebeginningoflifeasachristianisa transitionfromdeathintolifeinchrist,justasnoahpassedfromdeathto lifeintheflood. TheemergenceofNoahfromthearkisintendedtobeapictureofthenew beginningoflifethateverychristianexperienceswhenheorsheenters intotheresurrectionlifeofjesuschristbythenewbirth! ThewriterofHebrews(9:13-22)pointsoutthattheoldcovenantswere confirmedwithblood.jesus deathinstitutedanewcovenant a covenantthatservesasjesus ownunbreakablewill, thepromised eternalinheritance (v.15).
Jesusthemediatorofthenewcovenant-Heb.8:13 13 When God speaks of a new covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. The covenant in our text in Noah s time was replaced, superseded by this new covenant that Jesus established for us with God an everlasting covenant. Heb. 9:13-15-13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. Heb 9:22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. OurnewcovenantinChrist-Mt.26:26-28 26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, Take this and eat it, for this is my body. 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. God Himself came in the person of Jesus Christ, and He accepted the terms and conditions of this new covenant on our behalf. He then ratified it by shedding his own blood as the perfect sacrifice once and for all, and he offers forgiveness of sin and a blessed relationship to all who are willing to accept this unto themselves by faith. Our God is a covenant God He has done everything necessary for us to be in this covenant relationship with Him. Doyoubelievethis?